Back in fall 2013, Sondra Radvanovsky sang her first “Norma” at the Met. A few performances later, Angela Meade and Jamie Barton stole the spotlight when they were paired together for the second cast of the opera. Now it is the 2017-18 season and the pattern has continued, with the inclusion of Marina Rebeka for two performances in between. While {…}
December is one week old. While the companies are winding down on their programming, the artists are still going strong on social media. This week’s picks range from new scores to powerful messages to fun times with friends. Enjoy! Pavol Breslik decided to show some holiday cheer… My st. Nicholas today is very good for my hips and extra kilos {…}
With the holiday season in full swing, the opera schedule is winding down across the country. In fact, only a few weeks ago there were over 70 performances over the weekend. This weekend the number has dropped quite drastically, Fortunately, that doesn’t mean there is no opera for the opera-craved. Here are five performances to get your fill. Le Nozze {…}
For decades Renée Fleming has been a shining star on the world’s great opera stages, none more so than the Metropolitan Opera. From her victory at the National Council Auditions in 1988 to her debut three years later to her final performance at the tail end of the 2016-17 season, Fleming was the Met’s diva. While her future as an opera star remains a {…}
Another weekend is here and many of the biggest stars are performing in some of the greatest theaters. If you want to know where Anna Netrebko, Sonya Yoncheva, Jonas Kaufmann or Piotr Beczala are performing, here is a look at our top five to see this weekend. “Andrea Chénier”- Teatro Colón, Argentina José Cura continues his run of “Andrea Chénier,” {…}
After numerous accusation of sexual misconduct, James Levine has finally responded in a public statement. The conductor said, “As understandably troubling as the accusations noted in recent press accounts are, they are unfounded. As anyone who truly knows me will attest, I have not lived my life as an oppressor or an aggressor.” He continued, “I have devoted my energies to {…}
Diana Damrau has canceled the first performance of “Lucia di Lammermoor.” The Bayerische Staatsoper announced via Twitter that Damrau canceled due to illness. As a result, Operalia winner Adela Zaharia will fill in as Lucia Ashton and will be making her house debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Romanian Zaharia recently won the 2017 first place winner of Operalia and returns {…}
General Director, Sebastian F. Schwarz has stepped down from Glyndebourne. The company announced the decision on Dec. 4. The news comes two years after Schwarz’s appointment succeeding David Pickard, who left the festival after a decade to be director of the Proms. Schwarz said in a statement “To be Glyndebourne’s general director for the last two years has been my honor and privilege. In {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced replacements for James Levine for “Luisa Miller” and “Il Trovatore.” Macro Armiliato will lead performances of “Il Trovatore” starring Maria Agresta as Leonora, Yonghoon Lee as Manrico, and Anita Rachvelishvili as Azucena. Quinn Kelsey and Luca Salsi will share the role of Count di Luna, with Štefan Kocán and Kwangchul Youn both singing the role {…}
Today is opening night at the Teatro alla Scala and as every year the opera is scheduled to be streamed on the radio, broadcast on television and streamed to cinemas. So how can audiences tune to into the event? Here is how! For Italian audiences RAi 1 will showcase the video recording beginning at 17:45 Italian time while RAI 3 {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Jonathan Woody Allen’s {…}